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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Disambiguating "pure in heart" as a divine trait

Scriptural/Transhumanist Speculations on the Universe Part 7

LeGrand Baker has made his and Steven Ricks's book, Who Shall Ascend, available electronically, so if you are interested in reading my primary secondary source text in evaluating the Beatitudes, it is now available. I continue with the paraphrasing from the section on the Psalms in the Book of Mormon found in the pp 900s in the printed text, and mid 600s in the pdf version. I will omit specific page numbers at this point because I am switching between the two depending on when and where I write these posts.

Of the state of the gods are all the pure in heart for they shall see God.

This idea of being pure in heart has troubled me, at times. I have wanted to understand the purity as freedom from sin, believe that sinful mortals could achieve it, and doubt my own ability to be pure in heart at any given moment. The ambiguities have largely seemed overwhelming in coming to any practical understanding. Who Shall Ascend spends a number of pages on this topic and in discussing how it can be achieved. I wish to only summarize a couple of more measurable traits I could glean from the associated scriptures and discussion. I don't think I've resolved and ambiguities, despite my post title, but I think I see some points to build on.

Psalm 24:4 reads: "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." The second line may not be a restatement of the first, bit it feels like one to me. If it is, then vanity is not part of God's character, and he does not swear deceitfully. (This second is in keeping with God being unchanging.)

Purity of heart indicates a unity of thought and emotion within an individual, a keeping of promises made to God, and ultimately a unity of community in creating Zion.

What does this say about the characteristics of evolved gods? They will keep their promises, and they will belong to communities united by promises they make to each other and keep (the definition of faith I subscribe to), and by love, patience, temperance, and kindness.